Foreign Exchange
by Mondo the Second
Summary: A foreign exchange student from America falls in love with a very unique student. Game time! Review please
1. First Meeting

Foreign Exchange

by

Mondo the Second

disclaimer... Although I wish I did, I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe

note: This is an alternate to the books

The sun rose early over Privet Drive. The rays of sunlight crept through the bedroom window of house number four. A teenager with what looked like a case of permanent bedhead was awoken not by the sunlight, but by the sound of pecking at his window. He put on his glasses to see more clearly. A great horned owl was perched on his windowsill with a small roll of parchment strapped to it's leg. The new booklist has already arrived weeks ago, he thought. He got up, got dressed, and headed for the window before the tapping noise woke up his aunt, uncle, and cousin. He opened the window and the owl fluttered into the room. A snowy owl in a cage, Hedwig, gave an indignant hoot, as if to say, "How dare you let another owl into this room?" Harry took the parchment, gave the owl payment and it flew off. He unrolled the parchment and read it to himself:

Attention all Hogwarts Students:

This year we will have the honor of accepting a student from the prestigious Liberty Academy of Sorcery. His name is Vincent Scott. He will be part of a foreign exchange program between our on school and his. The student chosen to study in America in exchange is Draco Malfoy, of Slytherin House. I hope you will all be on your best behavior for our new guest, and treat him as you would your fellow students. You will have your first chance to meet Vincent on August 30th in Diagon Alley. He will be doing his shopping for the following year.

Signed,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

The first thing that Harry felt was shock and amazement. A whole year without Malfoy. It was like a year long Christmas present. He reread the letter. Vincent Scott. It would be nice to know someone from America, he thought. Find out about other cultures. Again, he thought, no Malfoy. He wondered how his friends Ron and Hermione were reacting to this news. His thoughts didn't last long, though. The sound of his uncle downstairs told him that it was time to get breakfast ready.

"Why isn't breakfast ready yet, boy?" shouted his uncle. Boy. In fifteen years of living with his only living relatives, they still called him, "Boy." He glanced at his calender and saw it read August 29th. At least tomorrow he would be away from the Dursley's house. He would do his shopping in the Alley and spend the night at the Leaky Cauldron. He went downstairs and started to prepare breakfast before his uncle became any angrier.

On the morning of the thirtieth, Harry got all of his school things ready and went downstairs. His uncle was going to drive him to London, though reluctantly. "Come on, Potter. I'm already doing you a favor driving down to the bloody place. I'd appreciate if you didn't keep me waiting," Uncle Vernon said, grouchily. "Sorry," Harry muttered.

As long as the drive was, it didn't bother Harry. The prospect of meeting someone from another country was distracting him from his Uncle's usual crabbiness. "So, your school is getting an American this year. Even your lot is going to the dogs, which isn't saying much," he jeered. Just ignore it, Harry said to himself. You'll be where you belong soon enough.

They arrived in London, a few blocks away from the Leaky Cauldron. Harry unloaded his things from the car. No sooner had he shut the trunk door, Uncle Vernon shouted, "Goodbye!" and drove off. He sighed, shook his head, and proceeded toward the magic tavern.

Muggles couldn't see the bar, or they chose not to. It looked rundown, so it blended with the rest of the buildings on the block. He walked in and was not surprised that Tom, the bartender, and all of the patrons were excited to see him. He had gotten used to this a few years ago, when he found out he had defeated the Dark Lord, Voldemort when he was an infant. He left his suitcase and Hedwig with the bartender and went through the back to open the archway to Diagon Alley.

After tapping the correct combination of bricks, the bricks moved and formed a great archway opened showing Harry a long street lined with shops selling all kinds of magical equipment. At the end of the street stood an enormous white building, Gringotts, the wizard bank. Harry breathed it all in. It's good to be home, he thought. He walked along the street, saying hello to people he knew from school. He wondered if his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, were there.

He was too busy paying attention to the shops and the people, he accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "Don't worry about it, dude," was the boy's reply. Dude? No one around here says dude. "I apologize for sounding forward," Harry started, "but are you Vincent, the exchange student from America?" The boy was about Harry's size, had wispy blonde hair, and had bright blue eyes. He wore jeans and a hole was beginning to form in the right knee and a shirt that read, "What is the speed of dark?". "Yeah, I am." He stuck out his hand. "The name's Vincent Scott. But back home, everyone calls me Vince." Harry shook his hand in return. "My name is Harry. Harry Potter." Vince's eyes grew wide. "THE Harry Potter?" he asked. "Holy shit, you're a legend, even in America!"

Harry couldn't help but feel flattered that he was known on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. "Thanks. How are you liking England?" he asked. Vince laughed. "I love it, but I can't understand what you guys over here are talking about half the time. You use different words than we do like crisps and lift." Harry smiled saying, "You'll get used to it." He seems like a really nice guy, thought Harry. "Do you think you could help me out?" asked Vince. Harry looked puzzled. "With what?" Vince turned a little red. "Well, I fell kinda silly for saying this but, the goblins are giving me a serious case of the jibblies. Could you help me get my money changed over so I can buy my supplies?" Harry chuckled a little. "Sure," he replied. "No problem."

The exited the bank, Vince with a look of relief on his face, and walked down to the shops. Vince got his robes for Hogwarts, his books, and his supplies. They walked back to the Leaky Cauldron. Harry noticed something was missing. "Where's your owl?" he asked. "I don't have one." Harry asked, "Oh, do you have a cat or a toad or a rat?" Vince shook his head. "Well what do you have?" asked Harry, having named all of the animals allowed at Hogwarts. "Because I'm an exchange student, I was allowed to bring my personal pet with me," Vince answered. They walked into Vincent's temporary room and his jaw dropped when he saw the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. It stood about three feet tall on its perch, had a brown body, bright yellow eyes, and a perfectly white head. Harry was staring face to face with a gorgeous bald eagle. "Pretty sweet, huh? His name is Audubon. I've had him since I started at Liberty." He clicked his beak and groomed his wings. "Can I pet him?" Harry asked nervously. Vince said, "Oh yeah. He's very friendly." Harry reached over slowly and stroked the top of Audubon's head.

Vince looked over at the clock and said, "It was great meeting you, but I'm really tired. Jetlag." Harry nodded. "That's alright. I'm pretty tired myself. Do you want to sit with me and my friends on the train tomorrow?" he asked. A smile spread across Vince's face. "Yeah, sure! That would be awesome!" They both said goodnight and went to their respective beds. This is going to be a good year, thought Harry.


	2. The Train Ride

Foreign Exchange

chapter 2

disclaimer... I own nothing, unfortunately

"Vince, get up! We need to get going or we'll miss the train to Hogwarts!" shouted Harry. Vince looked at his watch. The train would be leaving in a few hours. He scrambled out of bed and got dressed quickly. He threw on his new robes and gathered his trunk. He walked over to the eagle on its perch, kissed it on the head and said, "You know where to go. I'll see you there." Audubon chirped and took flight out the window.

Vince opened the door and Harry chuckled at the sight of him already in his Hogwarts robes. "What?" asked Vince. "I'm not gonna change in front of a bunch of people I don't know. Fuck that." Harry shook his head. "No, no, it's not that. You remind me of my friend Hermione. She's always eager to start the semester."

They walked down to the bar and ate a quick breakfast of toast with butter and strawberry jam, turkey bacon, and scrambled eggs. When they had finished eating they left the Leaky Cauldron and made their way outside to the main street. A car was already waiting for them. "I got a car to the train station from your government for being the foreign exchange student. Why don't you join me?" asked Vince. Harry nodded and started loading his things into the magically expanded trunk. Once they had their seatbelts on, the driver took off to King's Cross Station.

Once they arrived, Vince's jaw dropped. Harry noticed. "You've never seen a train station before?" he asked. "Not this big. Aside from Grand Central, most are pretty small or underground. Especially in New York City. You should definitely see America sometime. It's like many different cultures in one country," replied Vince. "I'd like that," said Harry.

They made their way toward platforms nine and ten. Harry had noticed a few of his friends from school. He went over to talk to them but Vince's attention was drawn elsewhere. Off in the distance, he noticed a blonde girl with large silvery eyes and earrings that he thought looked like radishes. She was talking to a man with shoulder-length white hair who he assumed was her father.

He felt a hand grab his shoulder. It was Harry. "You know, the train will leave without you if you don't get on." Vince nodded. "Right," he said, a little breathlessly. Harry gave him an inquiring look. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked. Vince looked back at where the girl was, but she had already gotten on the train. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, slightly crestfallen.

They climbed on board and the train blew its whistle. The wheels began to turn and the train slowly lurched forward. Harry and Vince made their way down the hallways of the crowded train. They found an empty compartment and sat down inside. A few minutes later some familiar faces to Harry showed up: Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

"Hey Harry," said Ron. "We've been looking for you." Hermione smiled and said, "It's good to see you again." Neither of them seemed to notice Vince sitting there for a few moments. He coughed, which in turn caused Hermione to jump in her seat. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry. Usually there's nobody else in the compartment but us," she added, apologetically. "Don't let it get you down," replied Vince, putting a hand up. "I've been known to blend into crowds." Ron's eyes widened. "Are you the American bloke?" he asked. "Yeah," Vince answered, sticking out his hand for a handshake. "Vincent Scott. But everyone calls me Vince." Hermione and Ron introduced themselves. "So, tell us about your school," begged Hermione, already eager to learn more. "We don't have many books on foreign schools." Ron rolled his eyes. "To hell with the school, tell us about you."

Vince laughed. Never before had he had an eager audience like this. "Well, I'll start with me and end with my school. I was born and raised in California. My father owns a chain of apothecaries and my mother is a teacher at Liberty." Hermione interrupted, asking "What subject does she teach?" Vince sighed and replied, "Ancient Runes, but I don't take it. What's the point in learning something that nobody's used in several hundred years?" Hermione looked insulted. Harry and Ron snickered quietly to themselves. "I have two little sisters named Claire and Lucy. I have a beagle back home, named Sally. My pet eagle Audubon is on his way to the school right now.

Now, about my school..." At these words, Hermione perked up. "My school was founded in the late 1700's by a guy you might have heard of named Benjamin Franklin." Harry looked puzzled for a moment. "I know that name. He discovered electricity didn't he? I thought he was just a brilliant muggle." Vince shook his head. "He already knew how to do all of the stuff he created. He was just trying to make them accessible to regular people. Electricity, bifocals, the Franklin Stove. He even created the first library in America, not to mention the first fire station in his own state of Pennsylvania." Hermione looked in awe of this man.

"But I digress," Vince continued. "Like your school, we have seven years. And like your school, we have four groups of students. The houses are named after four leaders during the American Revolution. George Washington is like Gryffindor, Benjamin Franklin is like Ravenclaw, Thomas Jefferson is like Hufflepuff, and Benedict Arnold is like Slytherin." Ron piped up. "Do muggles know about wizards in America?" he asked. "Well, our President does. And thank the Gods we're getting a new one. Our President is not very... tolerant of people like us. Of course, a lot of people aren't very tolerant of nonconformity." Hermione nodded. "I've been keeping up on world events. I do hope that old fellow doesn't succeed in your next election." "I know!" shouted Vince. "Because if he dies, that Alaskan chick is gonna be president! And she's fuckin' nuts!" All four of them began to laugh heartily.

At that moment, the compartment door slid open. Vince turned around and went pale. The blonde girl with silvery eyes and (close up, he could see that they were in fact) radish earrings. "Hello," she said in a very misty voice. "Hey Luna," said Harry. "Have you met the American exchange student yet?" Vince turned bright red and flashed Harry a What-Are-You-Doing look. She put out her hand. "Hello stranger. My name is Luna Lovegood. What's yours?" Vince drew a blank. He stuck out his hand rather quickly and said the first name that came to mind. "Barack Obama." Hermione giggled. Luna tilted her head, curiously. "Uh, I meant... Vincent Scott. Most people call me Vince." The train started to slow down, signaling the arrival at the school. Luna smiled and turned for the compartment door. "Forgetting your name is a sign that you've been visited by Nargles." And with that, she walked off. Vince sat down and took in his first meeting with Luna. After a few moments he finally spoke. "What the hell is a Nargle?"


	3. Welcome to Hogwarts

Foreign Exchange

chapter 3

disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter blah...blah...blah

The train came to a halt at Hogsmeade Station. Ron started gathering his things. He nudged Vince and said, "That was smooth, by the way." Vince glared at him. They all got off the train and walked over to the carriages that would take them up to the castle. Vince was in awe of the quaint little village. "We don't have anything like this back home," he said, admiringly. "We take trips down here a few times a year, so you'll be able to see it later," said Hermione. They made their way to the carriages. Vince climbed up first and gave the others a hand. Once they were all safely on board the carriage began to move forward.

Suddenly, a booming voice yelled, "WAIT!" They all turned their heads so quickly, the all felt slight pains in the neck. Vince's eyes grew wide. A large man, at least twice the size of a normal person was running towards them. "Dude, what's with the Incredible Hulk?" asked Vince, slightly nervous. The came to a stop in front of them. "Hi Harry," he said, slightly out of breath. "Hi Hagrid," replied Harry, smiling. "Is something the matter?" asked Hermione. Hagrid took a moment to catch his breath before responding. "Sorry, but because Vince is a new student, even for only a year, he has to ride with the firs' years." Vince's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Are you fuckin' kidding me?" he asked, disbelievingly. He got back out of the carriage and turned to the others. "Save me a seat, okay?" he asked. "Sure," said Harry. "See you up at the castle"

The carriage took off up the path, and soon it was out of sight. Vince and Hagrid took off in the other direction. Vince was feeling a little freaked out at the moment. He looks like he could snap me in half like a phonebook if I pissed him off, he thought. "Don' worry, I'm not gonna hurt yeh," Hagrid said, seemingly sensing Vincent's hidden dreads. "I'm actually a lot nicer than I look." "Okay," said Vince shakily, although he was not entirely convinced.

The arrived at the bank of an enormous lake lined with many boats filled with nervous little kids. Vince heaved a deep sigh and climbed into one of the boats with two other kids. Hagrid got into his own boat and led the way to the castle. "Aren't you a little old to be in our year?" asked one of the kids, jeeringly. "Aren't you a little young to have a death wish?" Vince asked back. The boy did not say anything the rest of the trip. Why do little kids have to be so arrogant, Vince thought to himself.

They arrived at the school, and Hagrid led the way into the castle. Vince was reminded of the Washington D.C. Cathedral, minus the Darth Vader gargoyles. They were led through a corridor, up a flight of stairs, and stopped in front of a large set of double doors. Standing in front of the doors was a woman with her hair in a tight bun, square-shaped glasses, and a look that said Don't Mess With Me.

"Welcome to your fist year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My name is Professor McGonagall. In a few moments you will sorted into one of four different Houses. They are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Once you are sorted, you will sit at your respective tables and the feast will begin," she announced. Vince perked up. Feast? Score! McGonagall opened the doors and they all entered the Great Hall.

Vince tried to take everything in. The floating candles, the ceiling that showed the weather outside, and the four rows of tables filled with the four different Houses. He saw Luna, who waved at him. Vince waved back, tripped, and fell flat on his face. The kids around him snickered to themselves. "Walk much?" asked the snotty little kid from the boat. Vince struggled not to suckerpunch this kid in the side of the head. I'm gonna have to be the one to kill this kid, he thought. They all grouped around a wooden stool sitting in the middle of Hall. On the stool sat an old, battered hat and Vince wondered what was supposed to come next. All of a sudden, the sprang to life and a rip opened in the brim, like a mouth. The hat cleared its throat, and sang:

Welcome to Hogwarts children

Welcome one and all.

We hope what you learn sustains you

Until your return next fall.

This time of year they bring me out

To do what must be done.

To sort you into different Houses

Instead of clumped into one.

This year is no exception.

The Houses are the same.

So listen closely children

And I'll tell you them by name.

Gryffindor is for the brave

And those with the strength to lead.

You'll find that when your in his House

You'll receive the strength you need.

Hufflepuff is for the loyal,

The tolerant, and hard work.

The ones who find themselves in here

Will never, ever shirk.

You may find yourself in Ravenclaw,

Whose intelligence is unmatched.

When in a tight predicament,

A plan will always be hatched.

The final House is Slytherin,

for those with great ambition.

Cunning and resourcefulness

Are used in every mission.

So put me on, go sit down,

Enjoy the wondrous feast.

The kitchen has worked very hard

For several hours, at least.

And when you're finished, go upstairs

And go straight off to bed.

Gather all of your energy

You've got a big year ahead!

The new students clapped and cheered for the tattered hat. Professor McGonagall walked over to the stool and picked up the hat. She pulled a rolled up list out of her cloak and read out the first name. "Andrews, William." A short boy with red hair and bright green eyes shifted nervously and shuffled over to the chair. He sat down on the chair and the hat was placed on his head. "Ravenclaw!" the hat shouted. Applause erupted from one of the tables and Vince noticed Luna clapping as well. His attention drifted elsewhere as the rest of the names were called. He could hear the hat shouting the names of the Houses as he looked up at the staff table. In the center was an old man with a long white beard and hair to match who he assumed was Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster. He also noticed Hagrid, a small teacher who was dwarfed by the regular sized teachers, and a teacher with greasy black hair that looked like he could give Freddy Krueger nightmares. He didn't hear any names or Houses being shouted. The hat was taking an awful long time on this student.

"Vincent Scott!" McGonagall shouted, rather loudly. Vince jumped and looked around. All eyes were on him and several people laughed. Apparently, he was next and wasn't paying attention. He practically sprinted to the chair and sat down quickly. The hat was placed on his head by the professor. The hat took a moment to think, before shouting, "Gryffindor!" The Gryffindor table eruptd with applause. A pair of redheaded twins who looked vaguely like Ron were enthusiastically singing Yankee Doodle Dandy. Vince couldn't help but laugh. He sat down at the table next to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The next name was called. "Templeton, Steven." An angry look flashed on Vince's face. It was the little snotrag kid. The hat called, "Gryffindor!" Vince groaned and banged his head on the table. "Dammit dammit dammit!" he cried with each headbang.

Dumbledore got up from his seat and made his announcement to the school. "For tonight's feast, a little bit of comfort food for our faraway guest. Enjoy." He sat back down and as he did, the tables flourished with all kinds of food. It was a little different this year. Usually the foods would include blood pudding and steak and kidney pie. A special meal was prepared in honor of Vince's arrival. Sloppy Joes, baked beans, corn on the cob, burgers, pizza, jambalaya, gumbo, cheesesteaks. Vince didn't know where to begin. Everyone ate and enjoyed the nice change of pace. The Gryffindors around Vince asked about his life and his school. After the dinner, the desserts materialized. Cheesecakes, fried ice cream, various pies and cakes.

Once they had eaten their fill, the food vanished as quickly as it had arrived. Dumbledore got back up to properly address the school. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. As many of you are no doubt aware, we have a new addition in our midst. Vincent Scott is a transfer student from the Liberty Academy of Sorcery in America. He will be with us for the year, so please treat him with respect. We hope this goes well. International magical cooperation is of vital importance in understanding other cultures. I would like to remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds. And Mr. Filch has updated his list of banned items within the school. Sadly, I must tell you that this year we will not be holding the Inter-House Quidditch League." This was met with many shouts and boos. "SILENCE!" Dumbledore bellowed over the angry crowd. "I will let our new guest explain."

Vince got up from his seat and walked up to the staff table. He looked at Dumbledore. "Are they gonna lynch me?" he asked trembling. "Oh, most likely," Dumbledore replied, with a little wink. Was he joking? Vince cleared his throat. "Um... this year, we're doing things a little differently. Um... we're gonna be having an Inter-House Quodpot Tournament this year." This was met with an air of confusion. "I'll explain. Not a whole lot of people play Quidditch in America. We play a different broomstick game called Quodpot. Each team has eleven players. The players must get the ball, or quod, into a cauldron filled with a special solution. I should probably explain that if the quod is not put in the pot within a certain amount of time, it explodes." The twins looked at each other and thought, Awesome. Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered, "What is it with Americans and explosions?" Vince continued. "The team with the most players left at the end of the game, wins. It's essentially high stakes Hot Potato on brooms. Tryouts will be held on September 15th. All are welcome to attend."

The Great Hall cheered and Dumbledore stood up again. "Now it is time to sojourn uptsairs to your nice, warm beds and prepare for the days ahead of you." Everyone got up and went to their respective common rooms. Vince tried to keep an eye on Luna as much as he could, but she turned a corner and he lost sight of her. As they reached a portrait of a rather large woman, she asked for the password. Hermione replied, "Fizzing Whizbee." The lady nodded and swung the portrait out. Everyone climbed through the hole in the wall and gathered around the fire. "I'm really tired. I think I'm gonna turn in," said Vince. Harry followed. "I'll show you to the room."

An extra bed was set up for Vince, in addition to the four that were in there already. He climbed in and pulled out a Game Boy. It wouldn't turn on. "What gives?" Harry glanced over before he left. "Muggle electronics don't work in Hogwarts." Vince got under the blankets and before drifting off to sleep, muttered, "It's gonna be a long fuckin' year."


	4. First Day part 1

Foreign Exchange

chapter 4

I own none of what you are about to read... aside from the idea

Vince woke up the next morning still feeling pretty tired. He sat up in his bed and properly took in his surroundings. He noticed five other beds in the room and assumed they belonged to the boys in his grade. They all had curtains around them. He looked out of the window nearest him. An enormous lake was visible at the base of the castle. He jumped back suddenly. That couldn't have been a massive tentacle rising out of the water. He threw on some clothes, grabbed his cloak and backpack, and went downstairs to the Common Room. A lot of people were gathered in the room, eager to talk to, or at least catch a glimpse of the "new kid." In all honesty, Vince was not used to being this popular. He kind of enjoyed it.

He found the people he was looking for. Harry and Ron were talking to three boys he didn't recognize. "Oh Vince! Good morning," said Harry. "I want you to meet the other fifth-year Gryffindors. This is Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom." Vince shook their hands. "Nice to meet you guys. I might sound like a complete and total noob, but is there a giant squid in that lake?" They all started laughing. "Bit of a shock on your first day, huh?" asked Dean. "No shit," said Vince joining in on the laughter.

Hermione came downstairs from the girls' dorm and joined them in conversation. "Ready for breakfast. I can't wait to see our new class schedules!" she said gleefully. "Bookworm at twelve o' clock," muttered Vince in a low voice. The boys around him snickered. Hermione looked curious. "What's so funny?" she asked. "Nothing, nothing," Vince said in a dismissive tone. "Let's eat, I'm starved."

They made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Inside, all of the students were eating and talking about their new classes. The smell of eggs and bacon and sausages and who knows what else greeted Vince's and he almost sat down with the Slytherins, being so hungry. "Sure is nice without Draco around, huh?" asked Ron as they passed the table. "This Draco guy sure knew how to push your buttons, didn't he?" asked Vince. "He's a horrible person," said Hermione. "Absolutely ghastly. I'm so relieved we don't have to deal with him this year." They sat down with the other Gryffindors and Vincent's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, but that little shit Templeton douche sure gets on my nerves. And it's only been one day," he exclaimed. "Let it go," said Hermione. "Don't antagonize him. You'll just make things worse." Vince flashed her an incredulous look. "That's such a Mom thing to say."

Vince loaded his plate with food and began eating. One of the teachers he saw at the table last night handed out the schedules for their table. He looked at his schedule and was met with an out of place name. He read: Potions with someone named Snape, Herbology with Sprout, Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid, ("The Incredible Hulk is a teacher?") and Defense Against the Dark Arts with a Billings. "Who's Billings?" asked Harry to the others. They shrugged. "I have a teacher at Liberty named Billings. He teaches the same class. All the girls love taking his class because he's drop dead sexy to them. It's actually quite irritating." A couple girls next to them "oooohed." Ron leaned over. "It's just Lavender and Parvati. Don't worry about them." Vince finished the list of classes. He also hade Astronomy, Divination, Charms, Transfiguration, History of Magic, and Muggle Studies. Harry and Ron looked at the last one and looked back at Vince. "What? I want an easy pass. Is that so wrong?"

After breakfast had ended, Vince went back to the common room and grabbed his books for his first day at Hogwarts. He met up with the others outside the Great Hall. "Thanks for waiting for me." "Not at all," responded Hermione. "You're new and are unfamiliar with this school." The walked through a door and down a flight of flagged stone steps. Vince noticed the air getting colder. He wrapped his cloak around himself a little more tightly as he walked. They reached the room they were supposed to be at and walked in.

Jars and shelves and cabinets lined the walls. It was cold and dank. Vince took in his surroundings. "This room is really freaking me out," he muttered to Harry. "I can assure you, this room is nothing compared to what I'm capable of doing if you don't sit down," replied a sinister voice from behind them. A chill made its way up Vincent's spine. He turned around and saw the scary looking teacher from dinner last night. He sat down, quickly and took out his book and materials, also quickly.

Snape made his way to the front of the class and stared. "Today," he began, "you will be making a Starvation Potion. This potion, when mixed correctly, causes the drinker to become ravenously hungry. It has been used with great success for interrogation purposes. It is also used for people who just wish to gorge themselves." He shot a nasty look at Ron. "Open your books to page 328 for instructions."

Vince looked around the room as Snape was talking. He saw that the jars contained powders and roots and... is that a preserved baby alligator?

"Isn't that right, Mister Scott?" Vince looked back to the front of the class suddenly. "Yes," he replied automatically. The Slytherins started to snicker on their side of the room. They knew, just as the teacher knew, that he was not paying attention. "At the end of the class I want you to give me a sample of your potions to grade on effectiveness and appearance. Those who do not make the potion correctly, fail the assignment. No exceptions, even for our inattentive guest," he added with a sneer. "Begin."

Most of the class walked up to the storeroom and cupboards for their ingredients. Vince sat for a moment to look at the page he was on. What a tool, he thought to himself as he was looking up at the teacher's desk. He made his way to the cupboards and got his ingredients. He sat back down and started following the directions. He took his ginger root and began slicing it as directed. Something hit him in the back of the head. He looked at the floor and saw a withered stone. He picked it up and saw that two rather large boys on the other side of the class were laughing and high-fiving each other.

Vince leaned over to Hermione, who was working furiously on her potion. "Okay, A: what is this that got thrown at me? And B: What's with Shrek and Shrek 2 over there?" She looked over to see who he was referring to. "Oh, that's Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy's cronies. It looks like they threw a bezoar at you. It's a stone from a goat that cures poisons." "I know what it does!" said Vince, irritably. "What I want to know is why did they throw it at me?" Hermione shrugged. "Maybe they're mad because you're the reason Malfoy isn't here."

"Excuse me." Vincent got up and walked over to them. "What are you doing?" she hissed. "They'll destroy you!" He made his way through the class and walked over to them. "Excuse me getleman," he said. "Yeah, what?" Crabbe grunted. "I just wanted to ask you a question. Is the reason you two are always hanging out together because you both harbor a secret desire to be suck off one another?" "What did you say?" asked Goyle as he stood up. He was at least a head taller than Vince. "Nothing," he replied casually, though secretly he scared of his wits. "Although I do have another question. Do you guys pester other people because you're compensating for something?" They stood there thinking about what Vince meant by that comment. Vince walked away and finished cutting up his ingredients. Crabbe and Goyle sat dumbfounded at their table working on their potion and trying to figure out what Vince said.

It was almost the end of the class. All Vince had to do was stir his ingredients in his cauldron and pour a small amount in a phial. Pain appeared on the side of his head and the next thing he knew, he was on the floor, his potion spilling around him. He saw Crabbe walk back to his desk, laughing with his big, dumb accomplice. "Dammit," Vince muttered. The bell rang. "Everyone hand their potions to me and write a two scroll length essay about the history and uses of this potion." Most of the people had their potion the right shade of orange. Ron's was slightly yellowed. Neville's was blue. Vince had nothing. "Well, Mr. Scott. They say your first day demonstrates what the rest of the year will be like and I must say I am not impressed. Clean up your mess and get out of my sight."

They all filed out of class and Vince caught up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Holy shit, you guys! Your potions teacher is a fuckin' tool!" Harry shook his head in dismay. "I tried to warn you, mate," he said. "And he gives me a serious case of the jibblies!" Vince took out his schedule and read what was next. "We have Herbology class next, right guys?" he asked. They nodded and all four of them walked off to the next class.

"Oi, Scott!" called a voice. "I heard you were a bloody cockup in Potions today!" It was Templeton. Vince felt like snarling and ripping his throat out like a wolverine. Instead he took a deep breath and simply replied. "Hey, let me know when you're tall enough to ride the ride, Munchkin." Ron slipped him a low-five and the group left Templeton standing in a confused rage, struggling to come up with a comeback.

They walked through the grounds down to the green houses and Vincent's heart almost leapt into his throat. It was Luna Lovegood. Vince stumbled a bit as he tripped on a small rock. It appeared as though all of the Ravenclaw students were heading over to the dilapidated shack by the edge of the forest. Vince saw Hagrid step out of it and heard loud barking. "Back Fang!" he could just barely hear.

They got to the greenhouses and the teacher was waiting for them. She was a short, chubby woman a brown, pointed hat. Grey hair was stringing out underneath the brim. "Welcome Gryffindors, to your fifth year of Herbology. Come in, come in," she said waving them in. Inside was a massive plant that looked like a Venus Flytrap with eyes.

"Today we will be examining the Cleopatra Flower. This rare species of plant lives in the jungles of Africa and feeds mostly on pikas and other small rodents. I want everyone to put on their dragonhide gloves and grab a box of assorted dead rats and mice to feed your Cleopatra."

Vince winced at the thought of this. He put on his gloves and grabbed a box. This is gonna be torture, he thought.


	5. First Day part 2

Foreign Exchange

chapter 5

I own none of this

They walked out of the greenhouses, Vince feeling shaky. "Are you okay Vincent?" asked Hermione. Vince looked slightly pale. "I'm fine. I just never want to see a plant devour rats and mice again. Ever." He shuddered and went, "uuuughh" They walked to the castle for lunch in the Great Hall. "Yeah, like I can fuckin' eat after what I just witnessed," muttered Vince.

They sat down at the table and filled their plates. "What's next?" asked Vince to no one in particular. "We have Care of Magical Creatures next with Hagrid," replied Harry. Vince paused for a moment and asked, "As a teacher, how is he?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione shot a breif glance at one another. "He's... okay," said Harry. "He's not the best teacher in the world," said Hermione, dismally. "On the other hand, there's no shortage of excitement in his classes. Malfoy was slashed by a Hippogriff two years ago," Ron said with a reminiscing smile. "Those were the days." Vince hoped that he would not be on the receiving end of anything harmful.

"Hello Vincent Scott," said an airy voice behind them. Vince turned around. It was Luna. "How are you enjoying your first day so far?" she asked. "Great, just great. I love you," he replied. The three looked at each other. Luna raised an eyebrow. "You... you... your... your school! I love your school! Heh heh. I don't love you. We just met. I-I-I mean I like you as a friend and all." Harry cut across him. "She already walked away, Vince." Vince looked around and saw that she had indeed walked away. "Did she seem mad?" he asked. Hermione shook her head. "She was actually chuckling to herself as she left." Ron patted him on the back. "Real smooth, my friend. Real smooth." Vince leered at Ron. "It is taking everything I have in me not to dump this gravy boat all over your head." Harry started laughing.

Something hit Vince in the head again. "Oh sweet Moses! Who keeps throwing shit?" He looked down the table and saw, making kissy-faces and mocking him, Templeton. Vince made a slight wave of his wand. The next thing anyone knew, Templeton's roll bit his hand and remained motionless. No one around him saw the roll bite his hand. Hermione shot Vince a disapproving look. "What? He can't prove anything. Nobody else saw it happen."

When lunch was finished, they made their way to Hagrid's hut. He stood outside with a massive, black dog. "I think that dog ate a kid or something," muttered Vince to Harry. "That's Fang. He's very gentle. He's just really big."

Hagrid's booming voice greeted them as they approached his hut. "Welcome to Care of Magical Creatures! I got summat real special to show you lot today. Follow me." He walked in the direction of the lake and the class followed. "What's going on?" a dark-skinned girl behind Vince asked. "You'll see Parvati," said Hagrid. Hagrid stopped at a point by the lake and turned around to face the class. He pulled what looked like a bundle of seaweed out of his coat pocket and dropped it in the water. "What are we waiting for?" asked Neville. Hagrid shushed them. Bubbles appeared under the surface and broke. All of a sudden, a horse's head rose out of the water. A pale blue horse's head. "Hagrid, what exactly is that?" asked Dean. "That," said Hagrid, pointing at the head, "is a Hippocamp. A sea-horse in the literal sense. It has the head, torso, and fron' legs of a horse, but the back half resembles a fish. As you can see, the mane looks like a large fin down its back. It's fron' hooves are fins. It eats seaweed and small anemone." The girls were fawning over this creature. "Can we pet it?" asked Lavender. "Be careful. Like a horse, these beauties get a right bit skittish if you scare 'em. So approach it slowly and let it sniff your hand."

Vince pet the Hippocamp. It felt smooth, with little hairs. It reminded Vince of petting a sea lion at Sea World. "Now," continued Hagrid, "Who can tell me the difference between the Hippocamp and another kind of water horse, the Kelpie?" To no one's surprise, Hermione raised her hand straight up into the air. Vince raised his hand as well. A few students exchanged impressed looks to each other. "Well, alright Vince. Tell us what you know." Hermione looked crestfallen, unable to show off her smarts, yet again. "The Hippocamp lives in oceans and seas. Particularly the Mediterranean Sea. It is kind and gentle as well. The Kelpie lives in lakes and ponds mostly here in the United Kingdom. It is a malevolent spirit that lures people, especially children into the water and drowns them to feed on them." Hagrid clapped, clearly impressed. "Couldn't have said it better meself! Fifteen points to Gryffindor!" Hermione gave Vince a stunned look. "What?" he asked. "I'm big into cryptozoology."

After class, everyone was patting Vince on the back and congratulating him for showing up Hermione. She looked a little miffed. "You're not actually jealous of Vince, are you?" asked Ron. "No," she said. "I'm just used to knowing all of the answers and answering all of the questions. I'm not mad at Vince."

"Well that's good to know," said Vince, who was right behind them. "Listen, if you're upset that I stole your thunder today, I won't do it again, okay?" he asked. Hermione shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm not mad at you. It was just... surreal to see someone answer a question before me, that's all." Vince laughed. "I love animals, that's all."

They went back into the castle for the last class of the day: Defense Against the Dark Arts. They walked to the classroom and sat inside. Vince saw a dragon skeleton and tanks full of various creatures. Pretty familiar tanks of creatures. "Sorry I'm late," said a voice coming into the room. "I had to talk to your Headmaster before my first lesson." I recognize that voice, thought Vince. He was right about his teacher suspicions. Standing before him was his own Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Robert Billings. He was in his late thirties with black hair that was beginning to grey. True enough, the girls in the class were instantly smitten with his rugged good looks. The boys in the class rolled their eyes. Vince leaned over to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and whispered, "This guy is my favorite teacher back home. I always have a blast in his classes."

"Welcome to defense against the Dark Arts. I'm your teacher, Professor Billings. But please, call me Robert or Rob. None of this professor stuff. I want this to be a class you enjoy. So what do you say we get our wands out and try out some things, huh?" The class murmured their agreement. Vince noticed that Parvati and Lavender were ready before anyone else. It never fails, thought Vince. "Who here can tell me what a Patronus is?" asked Billings. Hermione's hand shot up into the air, as usual. So did Harry's. Billings pointed toward Harry for the answer. Again, Hermione looked put off. "A Patronus is a spell that wards off Dementors. You think of the happiest memory you can think of and the spell comes out in the shape of an animal."

"Very good, Harry! Ten points for Gryffindor. The animal that emerges represents your totem, or familiar. The animal is essentially your spirit guide. My Patronus takes the form of the coyote. Now, I want you all to close your eyes and think of the absolute happiest memory you can think of. Once you are finished, I want you to come up to the front of the class, and recite the incantation: Expecto Patronum. And remember, if you can pull of a full-bodied Patronus before class ends, you will receive five points each for your House." This is going to be easy, thought Harry. "Begin thinking... NOW!" shouted Billings. Harry looked around as everyone was furrowing their brows in an attempt to conjure up some memories. Vince was racking his brain, too. He thought of many things: the births of his sisters, the day he got his first dog, the day he was accepted at Liberty. He even thought about being accepted in the foreign exchange program. And then he thought of it. The thing that had made him the happiest he had ever felt: the day he met Luna. He saw little wisps of what looked like smoke spout of his wand and he set it down on the desk before anything happened.

"Okay, is everyone ready?" Billings asked after some time. The class muttered their agreement, some sounding unsure of themselves. Harry got up first, bellowed, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" asnd a silvery stag burst out of the tip of his wand. Almost everyone was in awe of it. "Excellent Harry!" said Billings. He checked Harry's name on the student list as a way to remember who made an actual Patronus. "Very good. All right, who would like to go next?" Hermione got up and was slightly nervous when she shouted, "Expecto Patronum!" A puff came out. She looked like failed a massive test. "Don't let it get you down, Hermione. I'm actually surprised that someone was able to get it on the very first try. Sit back down, concentrate on your memory, or even try to think of one that's even happier." Ron stood up and walked to the front of the class. "Expecto Patronum!" Same as Hermione. "Fret not, my red-headed chum. You'll get it. Who's next?" No one volunteered. "I guess I'm gonna have to pick someone myself. Hmmm.... How about my good buddy Vince?" he asked motioning towards Vince. He got up, eventually and walked to the front of the class. He walked back to his desk. He had left his wand behind. A few people giggled. He took a deep breath, flashed Billings a why-did-you-volunteer-me look, and shouted, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" He expected to see nothing but a puff, like Ron or Hermione. But this time, something else happened. From the tip of Vince's wand, burst a silvery ferret. It landed on the ground, started scampering around, and disappeared.

Everyone clapped and cheered. "Well done, Vince! Well done! You never disappoint me back home and you didn't disappoint here." Harry leaned over to Ron and Hermione and muttered, "I really like this new teacher." Ron nodded. "It's a shame he'll be gone by next year," he said. Hermione looked aghast. "Why would you say something like that?" she asked. "Because that's always the case. One died, one's got amnesia, one got fired, and one was a fraud. I just hope nothing bad happens to him." Harry considered this for a moment and said, "He'll probably go back to America at the end of the year."

By the end of the class only three people other than Vince and Harry were able to get a complete Patronus. Hermione's otter, Ron's Jack Russell Terrier, and Seamus's fox. As everyone was gathering their things, Billings pulled Vince aside. "How are you handling your first day here?" he asked. "I like it. I think the Potions teacher is a bit of a tool," he added in an undertone. Billings laughed. "Well, if you have any problems, just come to me, okay?" Vince nodded. "Oh, before I forget, good luck with the Quodpot tryouts next week."

Vince, Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed up to the castle for dinner, followed by tonight's homework. Snape's essay and diagrams of the Cleopatra for Herbology and the Hippocamp for Care of Magical Creatures. Billings was the only one nice enough to not give them homework on the very first day. At their table they gathered their food and began eating. Vince, however, sat in his seat and stared at his plate. "Aren't you hungry, mate?" asked Ron. Vince picked up his fork and put it back down. "Guys," he started. "Can I ask you something?" The three nodded. "Of course," said Hermione. "Anything," replied Harry. Vince took a deep breath and began. "I'm an incredibly shy person, and there is someone here I like. And I mean "date" like not like as a friend. I want to talk to her but I-I-I just get so damn nervous around her."

"Who is it?" asked Hermione. Vince took another deep breath and said, "Luna Lovegood." Ron started to laugh. "You fancy Looney?" he said, amid gales of laughter. "Stop it, she's a perfectly lovely girl!" shouted Hermione. "She's just a little... eccentric." Ron snorted. "I think that was the understatement of the century." He and Hermione began arguing with each other. Harry leaned in close to Vince. "Listen, if you want my advice, just talk to her. You'll regret it if you don't," he said, staring down at the end of the table. Vince turned to see what Harry was staring at, but didn't see anything except a few Gryffindors including a red-haired girl Vince thought looked vaguely familiar.

"Anyway," continued Harry. "You should find out about her, ask her out, and don't make a fool of yourself." Vince smiled and said, "Thanks for the advice." He picked his fork back up and began eating.

They went back to the Common Room to do their homework. Ron's older twin brothers were showing off their new line of trick candies to the younger students. They tried to pass on onVince, but he had heard enough about them from Ron. The first bit of homework Vince did was the essay for Snape. "I don't want him to hate me all year," said Vince. "Good luck with that," snorted Ron.

After Vince finished his essay he headed up for bed. "I got a few days on the drawings," he said. "Besides, I'm still getting over the time difference." He went up to the room, put on his pajamas, and got into bed thinking about his upcoming classes. Thinking about Quodpot tryouts later next week. And more importantly, thinking about Luna.


	6. Second Day

Foreign Exchange

chapter 6

I wish I owned this

Vincent woke up the next morning and got his things ready for his second day of school. He overslept a bit and missed the beginning of breakfast. He looked at his schedule. His first class today was Divination. He also had Charms, Transfiguration, and Muggle Studies. Vince looked around the bedroom and only saw empty beds. Everyone else had already woken up and left. He went down to the Great Hall and found Harry, Ron, and Hermione waiting for him.

There was a box sitting in front of them on the table. "What's with the box?" asked Vince. Ron shrugged. "A horned owl delivered it just a few minutes ago. It's addressed to you." Vincent looked quizzical. "Who's Amber?" asked Hermione. Vince paused a moment. "She's a friend of mine back home," he replied. He wondered what was going on. "Could you open it already?" asked Harry. "It smells a little... off." Uh-oh, thought Vince. She wouldn't. He opened the box and could smell it before he could see it. Inside was a note that read: For when you get bored. If you need more, just ask. I'll be your connection. Amber. Underneath the note was a pipe and a Ziploc bag of some kind of a greenish-brown plant.

"Is that oregano?" asked Harry. Vince shook his head. "No, my naive, limey chum. My idiot friend sent me a fat bag of pot." Hermione gasped. "Isn't that illegal?" she asked. "It is unless you need it for medicinal purposes, like her father," responded Vince. "Oh sweet Moses, why did she send me this?" "You don't smoke marijuana, do you Vince?" asked Hermione, with a disapproving tone in her voice. "No, of course not," replied Vince, in a very sarcastic tone. Hermione glared at him. "What? Almost everyone I worked with over the summer smokes weed." Hermione retaliated with, "If your co-workers jumped off a cliff, would you do so as well?" Vince rolled his eyes. "Okay, A: quit acting like a fucking mom. And B: have you ever actually tried it?"

"No, of course not! I am a model student," shouted Hermione, affronted. "Oh please, nobody's that big of a goody-two-shoes." He looked at Harry. "I haven't done it either." He looked at Ron. "No, I haven't done it either," he responded, evasively. Everyone's heads turned towards him. "Okay, I did it once with Fred and George about a year ago. It was in the toolshed outside our house. Mom caught us before we became inebriated. Boy, was she furious." Harry looked appalled. "We're your best mates and you didn't tell us about this?" Ron shrugged. "I didn't want you guys to be ashamed of me."

Hermione sighed. "I don't approve of it, but there's no reason we'd treat you any differently." Ron heaved a deep sigh of relief. "Thanks guys." They grabbed their bags and got up to go to their first class. Vince crammed the pot into the bottom of his backpack. Ron leaned in to Vince's ear. "Hey, are you going to be using that tonight?" he asked, pointing at the bag. "I don't know. Maybe," Vince replied, with a sly wink. Hermione walked in the other direction, waving at them. "Where the hell does she think she's going?" asked Vince. "She doesn't have to take Divination," answered Harry. "Why not?" asked Vince. "Hermione and Professor Trelawney don't quite see eye to eye," said Harry. Ron snorted. "Those two hate each other with a fiery passion."

They walked for what Vince felt like was forever. They walked through several halls and corridors. The passed a picture of a deranged knight challenging them and calling them things like "rogues and "brigands." "I think that guy fell off his horse and hit his head harder than he thought," said Vince to the others as they approached a ladder. At the top of the ladder was a trapdoor. Vince went first and pushed the trapdoor up to open it. He was immediately met with a thick, hanging odor of perfume. The smell reminded Vince of the interior of an herb shop in Chinatown. His eyes watered and he put his shirt to his mouth to filter his breaths. At least this will mask the smell of the pot, thought Vince. They found an empty table lined with three large poofy-looking chairs. A large crystal ball sat in the center of the table. Vince sat down and starting unpacking his things. Harry leaned in to him and whispered, "One thing you should know is that Trelawney is a right old fraud."

"Good morning my pupils," said this misty, airy voice from seemingly out of nowhere. Vince looked and saw a woman who looked like a large bug. Her glasses made her eyes look massive. "Welcome to Divination," she said. "Today, we will be consulting last night's star charts to predict the events of our lives unfolding before us." Vince's eyes bugged in his head. "Dude, what is she on and where can I get some?" he whispered to Harry and Ron. They started to quiver with silent laughter.

Everyone pulled out what looked like massive maps of the night sky and wrote down what they saw in the stars. I have no idea what the hell I'm supposed to be doing, thought Vince. He leaned over to Ron. "What do we do?" he asked. Ron shrugged. "Just make stuff up. It's worked for us the last few years. If you add a gruesome demise, it's even better." He went back to writing. Vince shrugged and started writing about becoming a teacher in ten years before getting eaten by a manticore.

At the end of class, they handed in their work, got their homework assignments, and headed for the next class. Vince ran. He wanted to drop the... stuff off in his room under the mattress. He ran out and headed for Charms class. He ran smack into someone as he rounded a corner to the staircase: Templeton. "Where's the fire, you cockroach?" asked Templeton. Vince held out his hand to help him up. "SorryaboutthatIhopeyou'reokayseeyoulaterbye!" Vince yelled as he ran down the stairs. Templeton stood there in thought for a moment, with a feeling of suspicion. Vince arrived in the nick of time and sat down at his chair, very out of breath. "Where did you come from?" asked Hermione, who rejoined them in class. "I had to do something in the dorm room real quick."

"Welcome class!" called a high voice from seemingly out of nowhere. Vince looked around for the source of the voice. He found it from a small man that had to stand on a stack of books to look over his podium. It's Mini-Me, thought Vince. They learned the Weight Charm today. Vince got the hang of it after a few tries. Seamus accidentally caused all of the books on the bookshelves to gain weight and break all of the shelves. Because of this, they were given extra homework to be handed in next week.

Vince was looking forward to lunch. He was really hungry, due to missing half of breakfast. He saw Luna at the Ravenclaw table. "HEY!" he heard Hermione shout. Vince snapped back to attention and saw he had overflowed his drinking glass. He quickly cleaned it up, trying to conceal his very red cheeks. "Hey, I have an idea!" said Ron. "What?" asked Vince. "Go talk to her." Vince turned pale. "Talk... talk.... talk to who?" he stuttered, nervously. Ron raised an eyebrow. "Talk to Luna."

"What? Don't be ridiculous! I don't have the hots for... for... for... um," he trailed off. "Luna?" Harry piped in. "Yes, Luna. I feel nothing for her long blonde hair and her big, beautiful eyes. And her voice, oh, her sweet, misty voice." He stopped abruptly. Everyone around him was staring at him. "Um, I mean..." He sighed. "You're right. I'm crazy about this girl. What do I do?" he asked. "Hmm, I seem to recall telling you to GO TALK TO HER!" said Ron. "You mean, just like that?" Vince asked. Harry, Ron, and Hermione nodded. "Okay, I'll do it." He got up and started to make his way to the Ravenclaw table. He was going over what he would say to her in his head. Hey, you wanna hang out later? No,no,no. Got plans this weekend? What am I taking her to a cabin in the mountains? He was now standing a few feet behind her. Okay, here goes. He opened his mouth to speak.

The bell rang. All the students grabbed their belongings and got up to go to class. Vince calmly went back to his seat and picked up his belongings. However in his head, he was going, SHIT DAMMIT SHIT FUCKITY SHIT BALLS FUCK! "Are you okay Vince? Your eye is twitching," pointed out Harry. "I'm fine," said Vince with restrained calmness. "Let's go to class now, shall we?"

They reached Transfiguration, Vince's eye still twitching. I'm going to ask her out, make no mistake, he told himself. Professor McGonagall entered the room and greeted them. "Before we begin, I would like to ask our new student something." Vince gulped nervously. She knows about the pot. "When you left your school, what was the last thing you learned?" Oh thank goodness. "We learned how to transform tables and desks into pack mules." She looked impressed. "That was what I intended to teach today. If you can give me an acceptable demonstration, I will excuse you from class and give Gryffindor twenty points." No pressure, Vince thought. He stood up and got his wand out. "Tabula Asinus!" he said clearly. The teacher's desk turned into a donkey that brayed after it transformed. McGonagall started clapping, as did the rest of the class. "I'm very impressed," she said. "You may do what you will until the end of class." She waved her wand and the donkey was her desk again.

Vince pulled out his Charms and began writing the essay that Flitwick had assigned them. As he wrote he saw that Hermione had no trouble at all. Ron's looked somewhat like a sawhorse. Harry figured it out before the end of class, just before the bell rang. Vince packed up his essay which was half finished, and got up to go to class. After getting directions from Harry, he said goodbye and went to Muggle Studies. He came up to the classroom and walked in. The students inside were from all of the Houses and years because this was an elective class.

He looked around for a seat and saw Luna sitting at a table. By herself. With an empty chair next to her. Score! He walked over to her and pointed at the empty chair next to her. "Is this seat taken?" he asked. You dipwad. She shook her head and he sat down next to her. Okay, just be yourself and talk to her when you get the chance. The teacher entered the room. "Good afternoon class. I am Professor Burbage," she said. "If you are in this class that means you have an interest in studying the way Muggles go about their everyday lives without the aid of magic to guide them. By the end of the year I hope that you all will be more understanding to Muggles and not feel that they are inferior to us. Now, I would like everyone to get out your books and read the first chapter on Muggle inventors. Afterwards, I want you to turn to the person next to you at your table and discuss what you just read. Compare your notes or thoughts about the subject with the person at your table."

This is perfect, thought Vince. I'll be able to talk to Luna now. He pulled out his book and began reading about Muggles and their various technological advances. He noticed that most of the other students were taking studious notes on the subject. He chuckled to himself. I already know this stuff, he thought. After about a half hour the teacher noticed that everyone had finished with the chapter and were ready to move on. "Alright class, it looks as though everyone has finished. We have approximately one hour before class ends. Afterwards you may pack up and enjoy the rest of your day."

This is it, Vince thought. He turned to look at Luna. Oh, how pretty she is. "Would you like to share your thoughts about what you read first?" she asked. That Irish accent is so hot, he thought. "I love you," he blurted. She raised an eyebrow. "I-I-I mean... I'd love to. I'd love to express my feelings... er- thoughts about the chapter." Way to go, Casanova. "I think the most ingenious technological advancement in terms of Muggles, would have to be the airplane. Think about it. They've been trying to fly for hundreds of years, not even coming close. You can't fit more than one, maybe two people on a broomstick. And I think if a muggle saw a Hippogriff or a dragon, they'd go completely bat shit crazy before thinking, 'I want to ride that'. With the airplane, many Muggles can experience flying in an enclosed, safe space and not worry about falling out."

"There have been accidents, you know," countered Luna. "Planes have crashed before. I remember hearing about when your country suffered a terrible tragedy seven years ago. That happened with airplanes." "I'm not saying airplanes are foolproof," Vince cut across her, not wanting to think about that day. It brought back horrible memories. "I'm just saying, it's the greatest achievement. What about you?" he asked.

Luna thought for a moment. "I think mine would be electricity. It was discovered by Benjamin Franklin and then one hundred years later, Thomas Edison harnessed it to create many different inventions that Muggles now use today. Light bulbs, phonographs, X-rays and the stock ticker."

The hour went by quickly, Vincent noticed. All they had done was discuss the chapter. He learned nothing about her and vice-versa. The teacher excused them from class and everyone made to pack up their things. Luna started to get up to leave. It was now or never. "Luna!" he called, a little louder than he would have liked. She turned around and asked, "Yes?" Vince took a deep breath. "I was wondering, would you like to hang out together sometime? You seem like a really nice person and I'd like to get to know you." She smiled. "Are you asking me out on a date? No one's ever done that before." Vince looked surprised. "A pretty girl like you? I'm surprised to hear that." Luna looked down at the floor, blushing. "Most people think I'm... a bit eccentric. They usually avoid me or call me 'Loony'. I'd love to hang out with you. Come sit with me at breakfast tomorrow, okay?" she asked. "Yeah, totally!" said Vince, grinning from ear to ear.

She waved goodbye to him and they went their separate ways. Vince went back to the Great Hall where he met Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They noticed his cheerful disposition. "Okay, what happened?" asked Harry, a grin breaking on his face. "I talked to her, and she wants to hang out with me. I'm so ecstatic." Ron clapped him on the back. "I'm proud of you, mate," he said. Hermione looked overjoyed. "I think the two of you would make an adorable couple." Vince looked over toward the Ravenclaw table and saw Luna talking to some other students around her. He was happy to see that she too had a large grin on her face.


	7. First High, First Breakfast

Foreign Exchange

Chapter 7

Once again, I own none of what you are about to read

PSA:

I do not advocate the practices in this chapter or future chapters

"Where the fuck is my pot?" some of the fifth years heard Vince shout from the dorm in the common room. Harry, Ron, and Dean ran into the room. "What happened?" asked Ron. Vince lifted up his mattress. "It's gone! Luna said she wanted to hang out with me and I was going to light up to celebrate. Now it's gone!" Dean put his hand on Vince's back. "Calm down, Vince. We'll find it. It can't have walked away by itself."

They looked all over the room, in people's dressers, under the beds, in the sheets. No luck. Vince was getting frantic by this point. "Dude, what if it was found by a teacher?" asked Vince. They kept searching even more thoroughly. After a few minutes, Harry stopped and noticed something. "Does anyone else smell that?" he asked. Ron, Dean, and Vince sniffed around for a moment. "My pot!" Vince shouted.

Harry sniffed for a moment and said, "I think it's coming from the first year bedroom." Oh that little shitstain, thought Vince. "I know who took it. It was that little Templeton douche." Dean piped up. "How did he get it? Only fifth years are allowed in this room." A voice piped up from behind them. "I let him in here." It was Neville. Vince grabbed him. "Why the hell did you let him in the room?"

"He said the prefect found one of his books and he needed to get it back to do some homework." Vince shook his head. "And you believed him?" Neville looked miserable. "I'm sorry, Vince. I didn't know." Vince looked less mad. "It's okay Neville. You didn't know. But I am going to destroy that little fucker." Vince ran down the stairs and up to the door to the first year bedroom.

Vince pounded on the door. He heard muffled cries of "Hide it!" and "Open the window!" Vince was shaking with rage. "Come in," said a voice from inside. Vince opened the door and a look of horror flashed briefly on Templeton and his friend. "Where is it?" asked Vince calmly. "Where's what?" asked Templeton, pseudo-casually. "You know damn well what, kid! Where is it?" Templeton shrugged. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

Vince turned to the others. "Search the place." Harry, Ron, Dean, and even Neville looked everywhere for the pot. "Why are you such a little prick, kid?" asked Vince. Templeton looked back at him and replied. "My father is rich and can get me whatever I want." "Oh, so you're a spoiled brat. Listen, I honestly don't have anything against you, but you've been acting like a little jerk. Mocking me since I got here, stealing from me. I want you to know that if you if you keep acting like this you're going to regret it." Templeton rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the lesson dad."

"Found it," said Harry. He found it under a lamp. "Remember what I said, kid. All of your little jerk wad moves are gonna come back to bite you in the ass someday," said Vince as he left. They walked back up to the fifth year bedroom. They shut the door, locked it and sat down on Vince's bed. Vince looked at the bag and examined how much was left. "Damn glad they barely made a dent in it," Vince said as he looked at what was left. He broke off a chunk and placed it in the pipe. It was a glass pipe that looked like it had multi-colored ribbons inside. He opened the window and pulled up a chair next to it. He put the pipe in his mouth and covered the side hole with his left thumb. He took out his wand and muttered, "Pyrus Incantato." A small flame erupted from the tip of his wand and he inhaled. He held his breath for about fifteen, twenty seconds. He exhaled and said, "Oh, I needed that." He held out the pipe to the others. "Anyone else want a hit?" No one made a motion towards it except Ron. He took a puff and coughed it out not too much later. "This is more potent than what Fred and George had," he said, trying not to hack up a lung.

Gradually, the others tried it as well. First Dean, followed by Harry and then Neville. "I don't feel anything," said Neville. "That's what she said," answered Vince. Everyone laughed. "This stuff is a creeper. It builds up and then BAM, it hits you like a ton of bricks." About fifteen minutes later, the effects of the marijuana began to kick in. That fact became clear when Neville would not stop looking at his hand and saying after five minutes, "I have a mole on my finger." Vince laughed. "Dude, you're fucked up!" They all started laughing at Neville. They smoked a good amount of it, laughing and talking about nothing in particular. About fifteen minutes later, Vince's stomach grumbled.

"Dude, I got a serious case of the munchies," said Vince. His eyes were beginning to redden. Harry stood up and walked towards the door. He left the room leaving Vince with a perplexed look on his face. Harry walked down to the Common Room. He heaved a sigh of relief knowing that the only other person in the room was Hermione. But at the same time, he knew she would be disapproving of his partaking in the smoking. Only if she finds out, he thought. "Harry, what are you doing up?" she asked, peering over her book. Harry shrugged. "Vince and the others are hungry so I thought I'd get Dobby to cook us up something delicious." Hermione glowered at him. She did not like the fact that house elves were essentially slaves to all wizard kind.

"Dobby!" Harry called. There was a little POP and a small creature materialized. "What can Dobby do for the great Harry Potter?" asked the elf in a high-pitched voice. "The others and I are hungry. Do you think you could bring up some food?" Harry asked. Dobby bowed deeply and nodded. "Anything, sir. It would be an honor to cook for our American guest." He POPPED away again and Hermione was still leering at Harry. "What?" he asked. Hermione set down her book and walked up to Harry. "You're smoking, aren't you?" Harry looked affronted. "Why would you ask such a thing?" Hermione leaned in closer. Uncomfortably close. "I can see it in your eyes. They're turning red," she answered. "I'm just tired," he retorted. "You also smell funny," she replied.

Harry tried to think of a way out of it, but decided the truth was best. "Look, all of my homework is done, so it's not like I'm doing it in the middle of the day or something." Hermione sighed. "You know I don't approve of it." Harry rolled his eyes. "Look, it wouldn't kill you to try it just once." Hermione looked shocked. "That rubbish is illegal for a reason. Besides it can do serious damage to your mind." Harry walked back up to the room. "You're already the smartest girl in the class, if not the school. It seriously would not hurt you to try it just once."

Harry opened the door to the room and saw that Dobby had already shown up with trays of food and butterbeer. Vince was just about freaking out. "Dude, this guy just popped up out of nowhere with food! This place kicks ass!" Dobby smiled and bowed. "Dobby is pleased the food is to your liking. Dobby must return to the kitchens now." And with a POP he was gone. "Does anyone else find that totally weird?" Vince asked after Dobby left. Ron shrugged. "We're all used to it by now." An hour later the boys began to wind down and get ready for bed.

"Well, how was your first time trying pot?" asked Vince as they got into their beds. "It was fun, but not something I want to do all the time, replied Harry. There was general concurrence among the others. "I don't do it all the time either. Only on special occasions. Or if I've had a shitty day." He pulled the covers over himself and drifted off to sleep, thinking of breakfast with Luna tomorrow morning.

Vince woke up and looked out the window. The sun was shining over the Black Lake. He pulled on his clothes. The others hadn't woken up yet. Vince grabbed a sheet of parchment and a quill and ink. He went down to the common room and noticed that it was a little too early for breakfast. He found a chair by the fireplace and began writing a letter:

Dear Amber,

What the hell were you thinking sending me pot directly into the Great Hall? All of the staff sit right there and could have taken it away from me, not to mention I could have gotten expelled less than one week after starting. If you're going to send that stuff to me again, please send it directly to my room in Gryffindor Tower. Tell everyone I said hi.

Signed,

Vince

As he rolled up the parchment, he noticed someone else had woken up and was walking downstairs. It was Hermione. She saw Vince and reddened slightly. "Good morning Hermione," said Vince as he made to leave through the portrait hole. "Vince, can I ask you something?" she asked, tentatively. "Okay," said Vince, unsure as to where this was heading. She looked like she was struggling with herself before she asked, "What's it like?" Vince looked confused. "What's what like?" Again, it took a few moments for her to respond. "Being under the influence of marijuana." Vince laughed a little. "It's like you're on a cloud without a care in the world. And you're hungry." Hermione looked ashamed of even asking such a thing. "Why do you ask, Hermione?" asked Vince. "I was thinking about it all last night after I ran into Harry. I wondered if it was all bad."

"I can give you some if you'd like," said Vince. Hermione shook her head. "I really shouldn't. It's not who I am and..." Vince cut her off. "You know, a lot of people have smoked pot before me. I mean, W. used to do cocaine for crying out loud, and he became president. TWICE! Then again it does say something for my country." Hermione smiled and giggled. "Just let me know if you ever want to try it." She nodded and followed him out of the Common Room. "Off to breakfast?" asked Vince. Hermione nodded. "Where are you going?" she asked. "I have to mail a letter real quick and then I have a sort date for breakfast." A smile broke on Hermione's face. "With Luna?" she asked. Vince blushed and nodded. "Well have fun," she said as they parted ways.

Vince walked through the grounds to the Owlery. He stepped in and began looking for Audubon. He found him sitting on a perch near the back eating what looked like a rat. He also noticed that all of the other owls had given him somewhat of a wide berth. Probably for fear of being eaten. Audubon perked up when he saw Vince approach. "Hey, buddy," Vince said softly as he stroked his eagle under its beak. "I need you to take this to Amber back home, okay?" he asked. Audubon gave a small screech of understanding and took flight into the morning light.

Vince headed back to the castle thinking of only one thing: Luna. He found himself singing "Another First Kiss" to himself as he walked. He reached the Great Hall sooner than he anticipated and once he walked inside, immediately began looking for Luna. After a few minutes he found her and she waved him over. He sat down next to her and grabbed a plate of food. "Good morning Vince," she said, smiling. Vince's palms were sweaty. "M-morning," he stammered. Vince was thinking to himself. How do you say tell me about yourself without sounding like an idiot.

"So tell me about yourself," he said, unable to think of anything smarter sounding. "Well," she began. "I live with my father. He's a newspaper editor. He operates _The Quibbler_. It reports the stories that _The Daily Prophet_ won't. As far as I know, we're the only paper that gives up-to-date reports on the Blibbering Humdinger and the Crumple Horned Snorkack." Vince thought it best not to ask what the hell those were. "What about your mother?" Vince asked. "She died when I was much younger," she answered. "She tried to do a spell and it backfired and…" She broke off. Swing and a miss, Vince thought. She's lost someone too. "I'm sorry. I had no idea." Luna shook her head. "Don't let it bother you. I still have my father and he loves me very much." This brought Vince's spirits up a bit. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" he asked. "No, I'm an only child. What about you?" she asked.

"My father runs a successful chain of apothecaries called The Herbal Garden. We have nine stores around America and my father is thinking of expanding internationally. My mother is a teacher at Liberty Academy. She teaches Ancient Runes. I have two little sisters named Claire and Lucy, and a brother named…" He trailed off. Luna looked puzzled. "What's wrong?" asked Luna. Tears started to well up in Vincent's eyes. "I had an older brother named Colin. I was seven and he was nine. His elementary school class took a trip to New York. They decided to check out the World Trade Center." Tears started streaming down his cheeks. Luna knew where this was going.

"At 8:45 in the morning, we got a phone call from him. I was home sick that day. They were on top of the North Tower admiring the view and Colin wanted to tell me about it. Then the tone in his voice changed to one of alarm. Then I heard several kids screaming and heard a loud noise and what sounded like an explosion. I threw the phone to the ground and ran upstairs to wake up my father. I told him that I was on the phone with Colin and I heard an explosion on the other end. He got up, ran downstairs, and turned on the TV. We saw what I could only describe as the worst sight imaginable. The tower was on fire and a huge amount of smoke was billowing out of the top." He could see that not only was Luna Hanging on to every word of his, but so were others around them. He took a large swig of orange juice before continuing.

"We saw it all happen. At around nine o'clock, the second plane hit. Ten, the South Tower collapsed. We were relieved to receive another phone call from Colin fifteen minutes later. He told us he loved us. We talked for about fifteen minutes before he said he felt rumbling again. My father turned pale as the last thing we heard Colin do was screaming over a massive crashing noise."

Vince dropped his head to the table and started sobbing. He had never told anyone that. He felt an arm around his shoulder. He looked up to see Luna's face, also dripping with tears. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. Vince sniffled and smiled a little bit. "Thanks," he muttered, wiping the tears away. The bell rang. "Damn," Vince said as he got up. "Are you going to be okay?" Luna asked. Vince nodded. "I'll be fine. I've been fine the last seven years." She smiled and leaned in to him. "I'll see you at dinner, yes?" she asked. Vince breathed a heavy sigh and replied, "Definitely." Before she left, she did something most unexpected. She kissed him. On the lips. She smiled, waved, and walked away. Vince walked to rejoin the Gryffindors thinking he could stand Snape's abuse that day.


	8. Quodpot Plans

Foreign Exchange

Chapter 8

I wish I owned this

Vince opened his eyes and looked out the window. It was raining, but for some reason, it didn't seem to bother Vince. He pulled on his jeans and shirt. He grabbed his socks and shoes and pulled on his robe. He walked over to the sink. He straightened his hair and brushed his teeth. Today was going to be a good day.

Vince was walking down the halls of Hogwarts. There was a slight spring in his step. He was feeling pretty damn good. After two short weeks, he was doing well in all of his classes (except potions,) people thought he was cool, and things were going swimmingly with Luna. Vince had woken up with a tremendous feeling of joy at his present situation.

He entered the Great Hall and was about to join Luna for breakfast, when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He turned and saw Professor Snape. The joy quickly dissipated. It showed, too. "Oh don't look so thrilled, Scott," said Snape, very sarcastically. "The Headmaster wishes to see you at his table." He pointed up the room to the other side. "When would he like me to stop by?" asked Vince. "Immediately," said Snape. And with a quick turn, he walked towards the dungeons. No doubt preparing for Vince's class.

Vince walked over to the Ravenclaw table and grabbed a piece of toast to eat on his way to the table. Luna looked confused as Vince gave her a peck on the cheek. "Dumbledore business," said Vince, pointing up at the Staff Table. She smiled and waved and it gave Vince a boost of confidence. The walk up to the table was a bit daunting. Vince reached the Staff Table and Dumbledore surveyed him over his half-moon glasses.

"So," began Dumbledore. Vince gulped. Are they going to send me back? Was I like a trial run or something? Oh God, they found out about the pot. "You've been here for two weeks and I hope you are prepared for the task I set forth to you at the beginning of the term." What task? "Today, I would like you to prepare your tryouts for the first ever Interhouse Quodpot Tournament." Oh, thank Christ. "I would like you to give flyers to the heads of houses by the end of the day and have your tryouts planned for Friday. It will be the last class of the day."

Vince nodded and walked back to rejoin Luna at the table. "Thank you, Professor," he said as he turned to walk away. He sat back down and Luna turned to face him. "What did Professor Dumbledore want?" asked Luna. "He wanted me to make flyers for Quodpot tryouts on Friday. I have to give them to the Heads of Houses by the end of the day." Luna smiled. "Well that sounds fun. Would you like my help?" she asked. "You're so great," he replied, giving her another kiss on the cheek. "We'll design them at lunch, okay?" Luna nodded. "Sounds excellent," she said. This girl is wonderful, thought Vince. The bell rang. "Have fun at your classes," said Luna, waving as she walked off in a different direction. Vince grumbled. Snape was his first class.

Harry, Ron, Vince, and Hermione came back from their morning classes to have lunch. "I'm gonna join Luna. She's helping with the Quodpot tryout flyers," said Vince, leaving the Gryffindor section. "Good luck," said Harry. Vince walked over to Luna at the Ravenclaw table. She already had sheets of parchment out, making rough drafts of the flyers. Vince chuckled to himself. "You don't have to go to such trouble," he said. Luna shook her head. "It's no trouble, really," she said. "How were your classes?" she asked. "Well, it's no surprise that I wish Snape nothing but the swiftest death on him," he said with bitterness in his tone. "Herbology was okay too. We worked with these flowers whose pods were used as ingredients in all sorts of curative elixirs. But the damn thing smelled like rotten fish. We all had to wear nose plugs and our protective gloves because for some reason, they decided to make the petals feel acidic to the touch." Luna chuckled. "I bet you'd like to forget the morning happened, eh?" she asked. Vince sighed. "Boy would I," he answered, thinking of his pot upstairs.

They designed the flyers until the bell rang. Vince took them from Luna. "I have pretty easygoing teachers next. I'll be able to finish these. No problem." She gave him a little kiss and he blushed, slightly. He walked back to Ron, Hermione, and Harry. They were all looking at him with amused expressions on their faces. "Screw off. At least I'm dating someone," he said, a little bit miffed, as the others were laughing. They walked down to the edge of the forest where Hagrid's hut was. Vince wondered what was in store for their class this time. He also wondered how he would finish these flyers by dinnertime.

"Got a real treat for yeh," a booming voice called as they reached the hut. Hagrid was standing in front of his door with his enormous dog, Fang. They walked down to an enclosure not too far away from Hagrid's hut. Inside the pen were creatures Vincent and many of the others had never seen before. It reminded Vince of a bull, except it was scaly. Big, thick scales like a pangolin. It had a thick tuft of fur that drooped over its bloodshot eyes. "Everybody grab a mask," said Hagrid, dispersing surgical masks to all of the students. They also noticed Hagrid was wearing protective gloves and decided to follow suit.

"This is a catoblepas. They live around Greece. They're heads are so heavy they always have their heads down. This is fortunate 'because their stare has the power to kill on contact. They eat poisonous plants which causes their breath to be highly toxic and potentially lethal. If they feel threatened, they will let out a great sigh and yeh best run." Vince looked exasperated. "Why don't we just set each other on fire?" he asked the others.

"Today, I want yeh to feed 'em a variety of poisonous plants and see what they like best." Everyone put on their dragonhide gloves. There were several bags of toxic flora and people grabbed different plants for the catoblepas. Vince recognized things like poison oak, sumac, and ivy. There were also several varieties of mushrooms which he was sure were toxic. He grabbed a handful and walked over to the nearest creature, careful not to meet its gaze. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were feeding the catoblepas as well.

"Any ideas for the tryouts?" asked Harry. Vince thought for a moment as the catoblepas was eating some poison ivy. "Well I hope that you guys will try out for the team," he said. They all nodded excitedly, except Hermione. "Flying is not my cup of tea." Vince looked shocked. "You actually suck at something?" Hermione reddened. "What? Nobody's perfect," she said as she was taking notes as to what plant the catoblepas liked and disliked. "Anyway," Vince continued. "I want to see if all the people trying out can handle passing back and forth. This isn't Quidditch, I mean. It's very much like American football or basketball. The eleven players on each team are trying to get the quod into the cauldron at the other end before it blows up. There's a lot of strategy involved."

"You know what you're doing right?" asked Ron, a little skittish from the catoblepas. "I'm captain of Washington House at Liberty Academy. We didn't win the school tournament three years running out of sheer luck." Ron clapped Harry on the back. "You'll definitely want this bloke on your team, then. He's the youngest school Quidditch player in a century." Harry blushed. Vince took out an ink and quill and began making the flyers while Hagrid wasn't looking.

Tryouts for the first ever Interhouse Quodpot Tournament

Will be held Friday after during the last class of the day

Each team needs eleven skilled fliers

Hand-eye coordination is a plus

Contact Vincent Scott (Gryffindor) for more info

He prettied it up with pictures of goalposts with cauldrons floating in front of them. Hermione came over and took out her wand. "This will make things much easier," she said. She pointed her wand to the parchment and muttered, "Libro Multiplicito." Another copy appeared. She did this twice more and Vince had an awed expression on his face. He also noticed this look on Ron's face. He was sure the look was on his face for a completely different reason. "Thanks Hermione," Vince said, patting her on the back.

After class was over they washed off their gloves so the poison wouldn't contaminate their school things. They walked back up to the school for Defense Against the Dark Arts. When they arrived to the classroom they noticed that all of the desks were pushed up against the wall. There was a large chest in the middle of the room. Professor Billings was sitting at his desk writing something. "Oh good, you guys are here!" he said, looking up. He walked over to the chest in the center of the room. "I know you guys have already done this, but there was a boggart up in the bell towers and I decided to have fun with you guys today. Plus, I kind of didn't have any lesson plans ready today." He motioned at his desk which was cluttered with papers. Some of the kids snickered.

"Now, you all know what to do. Think of what terrifies you the most and the boggart will manifest itself in that form. You say Riddikulus to repel it and the next person comes forward. Why don't we start with Vince?" He motioned Vince forward. Vince looked a little nervous. He had a feeling he was the only one who had never dealt with a boggart before. Billings leaned over the chest. "Ready?" he asked. Vince gulped and nodded.

The chest opened and out came a dead beagle. Sally. "Riddikulus!" Vince cried, a little choked up. Dead Claire. Dead Lucy. Dead Colin. One by one, Vince was being subjected to the horrible visions of his family dead before him. But what it took form of next shook him to his core. A dead girl about his age… with long blonde hair, and protuberant eyes, even in death. Vince started to shake violently and collapsed on the floor, sobbing. Billings intervened and as he approached, the boggart took the form of a fiery airplane, but he was too preoccupied with Vince to care. "Everyone continue with the boggart," he said as he led Vince to the side of the room. Vince was shaking as the teacher gave him some chocolate. "You okay?" he asked Vince. Vince nodded. "I take it you have a soft spot for that Lovegood girl, huh?" he asked. "I've never felt that way about anyone before," Vince answered shakily. Billings smiled. "You got hit by Cupid and hit hard. Don't worry about the boggart. Everyone chokes up their first time." Vince looked up at his teacher. "What happens with you?" he asked with a mouth full of chocolate. "I see an airplane on fire, but it turns into a paper airplane that crumples when it hits the wall."

Vince sat back the rest of the class. He and his teacher watched the rest of the students having fun and he felt like a loser for crying like a baby when he saw those horrible things. When class had ended he walked to dinner in the Great Hall. Before he settled himself with some food, he went up to the staff table. "Thank you Vince. Good luck on Friday." Vince nodded and went to go sit down. After what he just saw, he did not have much of an appetite, though. Personally, he just wanted to sit with Luna. But she wasn't there. He sighed and went to join Harry, Ron, and Hermione.


	9. Quodpot Tryouts

Foreign Exchange

Chapter 9

I do not own the characters and stuff

"I can't believe you're reading that rubbish," said Ron, pointing at a book that Ginny was reading. They were sitting off to the sides of the flying lessons space, waiting for the tryouts to begin. She put down her book and turned on her brother. "I'll have you know that _Twilight_ is a very romantic story. All four of the books are." Vince rolled his eyes. "There are so many things wrong with that book. I know vampires. I grew up with vampires. Vampires are good friends of mine. Whatever those are in that book, they're not vampires. 'Oooh, look at me. I'm a vampire. I turn all gay and sparkly in the sunlight.'" Harry and Ron laughed, but Ginny and Hermione looked a wee bit miffed.

Harry looked up toward the castle and saw that the people wanting to try out were walking down to the pitch. Each of them had their own personal broom with them. He leaned behind him and motioned towards the pitch with his head. Ron and Harry got up with their brooms and joined them. Ginny got up to follow them as well. "Ginny, you fly?" asked Vince. "Fred and George taught me how to when I would steal Ron's broom out of the storage shed." Ron stopped. "That was you?" She laughed as they walked down to join the others approaching. "You don't have a broom," Ron pointed out. "I know," she said. "I'll be using yours when you're done." Ron scoffed. "You know, I don't see that happening." Harry smacked him in the back of the head. "I mean take it. It's yours," he said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Hello Vince," said a soft, airy, and familiar voice. Vince looked up and saw Luna standing there, wearing what looked like radish earrings. She sat down next to him and took out a clipboard to make notes of people's performances. There was a good turnout today. Vince saw Harry, Ron, and Ginny. He also saw Fred and George, Dean, Crabbe and Goyle, and a whole lot of other students Vince either didn't recognize or only saw a few times in the hallway. When all of the people had signed in Vince got up in front of the group and addressed them.

"Thank you all for coming. If you are here, then you would like to participate in the game of Quodpot. My name is Vincent Scott and I will be evaluating your performances today based on passing ability, catching skills and speed." He found it easier to talk to this crowd, rather than the whole school. "If I think you're good enough, you make the team. If not, thank you for coming. No hard feelings. Quodpot is a game played with eleven players on each team. The object is to get the quod into the cauldron at the end of the pitch before it explodes. If it explodes while you are holding it, you're disqualified and have to sit out the rest of the game. Like football, the game is on a timer of four periods of fifteen minutes with a short break between the second and third quarters. Now, we'll start with the Gryffindors, next is Hufflepuff, then Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. So, first I'll see Harry Potter. The rest of you can sit down until I call your name."

Harry stepped up with his Firebolt and waited while Vince got ready. "Okay Harry. Up in the air I have set up a line of cones. I want you to circle the cones as fast as you can a few times, and then I want you to weave through the cones like slalom." Harry looked up and nodded. He mounted his broom, and took off like a shot. Damn, that's a fast broom, thought Vince. He saw Harry circle the cones and then he wove in and out of them, just as fast as he was circling them. When he was finished weaving, Vince flew up in the air to meet him. He had a Nimbus 2001. It was a pretty good broom, but he acknowledged that the Firebolt was superior. "Okay Harry!" he shouted. "I'm gonna fly all around you, hurling quods. If you can catch eight out of ten, then you're good to go. You make the team!" Harry chuckled. "I'm the best Quidditch Seeker this school has seen in a very long time. If I can't catch a ball, there's something seriously wrong with me," he called back. This is gonna be fun.

Vince took off in the opposite direction. He threw a ball as hard as he could straight up into the air. He flew off in another direction as Harry sped over to catch the ball. Success. He flew back over to Vince to catch another ball. Got it. Over and over Vince lobbed the balls all over the place. Over and over Harry caught every last one of them. They both flew back down to the ground to tumultuous applause. Ron was sitting at the edge of his seat. Luna was beaming as she was watching them. When they touched the ground, Vince walked over to Harry, and vigorously shook his hand. "That was amazing! You were better than most of the people on my team back home! You're totally in!" Harry walked back to the stand, high-fiving people as he passed them. Vince picked up the clipboard and read of Ron's name.

By the end of the Gryffindor tryouts, Vince had an idea of who he wanted to be on the team. He saw the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins try out and by the time the last Slytherin was finished, it was getting pretty dark. "Okay, thank you all for coming. I will have the team rosters posted in the Common Rooms on Monday morning. Instructions for the first practice will be on the roster listings." All of the students headed back to the castle, while Vince flew up to the cones to collect them. When he touched back down to the ground, he saw that the only person left was Luna, holding the clipboard and smiling.

"You did a great job out there. I'm really impressed," she said, beaming. "I wish I could see you play." Vince panted as he was trying to catch his breath. "I spoke with the other Gryffindors. They want me to be the team captain." Her smile grew even wider. They started walking back up to the castle. "I have a basic idea how I want these teams to be set up. The first practice will be next weekend." He put his arm around her shoulder as they walked.

Inside the castle, they went their separate ways. She gave him back his clipboard. He kissed her goodbye and walked up to the Gryffindor tower. He reached the Common Room and gave the painting of the fat lady the entry password, "Hornswaggled." He climbed through the portrait hole and was greeted by the rest of the Gryffindors. "There's food if you're hungry," said Ron, pointing to a nearby table. Leftovers from dinner were waiting for those involved in the Quodpot tryouts. Vince was deeply pleased at the spread awaiting him. He ate his fill and walked to the stairway up to the dorm. Before he climbed the stairs, he backtracked and tapped Harry and Ron. They followed Vince up to the dorm room, each with a puzzled look on his face. Vince sat down on his bed and laid his notes out in front of him. "What's going on?" asked Ron. Vince looked up from his notes. "You guys know a lot about these people and their skills on a broom. I would like your help this weekend in getting these rosters situated." Harry nodded. "I'd love to, Vince. I've always wanted to be involved in team planning." Ron agreed as well. "Absolutely, no problem."

For about two hours, the three of them discussed the team possibilities, judging the people by their performances at the tryouts and Quidditch games of the past. Ron piped up with an idea. "If we put the horrible people on the team, Gryffindor will have no competition!" Vince looked at him for the longest time before smacking him upside the head with the clipboard. "Do you talk like this in front of Hermione?" asked Vince, raising an eyebrow. Ron reddened ever so slightly. "W-what are talking about?" he asked, casting a nervous glance at Harry. Harry wore the same expression as Vince. SMACK. "Dude, you're obviously smitten with her," Vince replied. "Yeah, Ron. You need to tell Hermione how you feel." Ron turned on him. "Says the bloke who lusts after Cho Chang." Harry flashed Ron a "you-son-of-a-bitch" look. "Wait. Cho Chang," Vince mumbled. He started rustling through the tryout sheets. "Here she is. Cho Chang. Plays for Ravenclaw. Sixth Year. Position in Quidditch was Seeker. She flew pretty well. I was thinking of putting her on the Ravenclaw team. Are you okay with that, loverboy?" Ron started convulsing in silent laughter. "Yes it is," Harry said, with a slight edge to his voice. "We have played against each other before."

"I think we have strayed away from tonight's meeting," Vince said as he looked at the clock. "It's getting late and I think we can finish this tomorrow." He put clipboard in a side table drawer next to his bed. Ron and Harry put on their pajamas and climbed into their beds as well. "Hey Ron?" whispered Harry, when he was sure that Vince was asleep. "What Harry?" asked Ron, a little groggy. "Hermione asked about smoking marijuana a couple of weeks ago." Ron raised an eyebrow. "So?" he asked. "I think she might want to smoke as well, but she's too shy or worried about sullying her reputation as a good student." Ron was silent for a couple of moments. "If she wants to do it, she can come to that conclusion on her own. I'm not going to press the matter any further." He rolled over and fell asleep again. Harry followed suit.

The next day, the boys of Gryffindor finished their homework and began to help Vince finish his plans for the Quodpot teams. Vince kept the list for Gryffindor safely hidden away. He didn't want them to see the results until Monday morning. All that was left was the Slytherin team. Ron really wanted to sabotage their team, but everyone knew it would be a terrible mistake. After about an hour, the teams were drawn up and ready to be posted. Vince had to give the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin rosters to their Heads of Houses. That night at dinner, he went up to the other Heads of Houses and gave them his finalized copies of the teams. He felt relieved having this burden removed from his shoulder.

Monday morning came around and Harry, Ron, and several others had woken up early to see the list. They found it posted on the bulletin board. The line-up for Gryffindor was:

Vincent Scott: (captain)

Harry Potter

Ronald Weasley

Ginny Weasley

George Weasley

Fred Weasley

Katie Bell

Alicia Spinnet

Angelina Johnson

Demelza Robbins

Cormac McLaggen

Harry read over the list and turned to Vince, who had just woken up. "Cormac? You're putting Cormac on the team?" he asked. Vince shrugged. "I know he's a complete douchebag, but he was one of the best guys that tried out." Ron rolled his eyes. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. Cormac has a nasty habit of trying to play all of the positions by himself." Vince sighed. "Great. I've put a fuckin' ball hog on my team." All of a sudden they heard an enthusiastic cry from behind them. Cormac had seen his name on the list. The burly sixth-year clapped Vince on the back rather hard. "Thanks for putting me on the team. You're the first Captain who's allowed me to play," he said. Vince rubbed his back, muttering, "I can't imagine why." Cormac walked away saying, "We are going to win the tournament this year, I just know it!" Vince put his hands over his face. "Dear God, what have I done?"


	10. GoodBye, Goody TwoShoes

Foreign Exchange

Chapter 10

I don't own blah… blah… blah…

"What are you doing?" asked Ron, peering over Vince's shoulder. "I'm doing plans for Quodpot practice tomorrow. I'd appreciate it if you didn't read over my shoulder," Vince answered, taking a drag off of a joint he made with parchment paper. They were sitting in the bedroom. Hermione had her nose in a book, helping Ron with his homework. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked, peering over her book. "I'm not trying to get fucked up," he said as he erased a plan he decided against. "It helps me to focus. I may get a little silly, but I'm not going to be falling all over myself." He held out the joint to Ron. He took it and had a little bit for himself. When Ron finished he passed it back to Vince. "Thanks," Vince muttered, still engrossed in the plans. He looked at Hermione who was pointing out Ron's mistakes on his homework. He smiled as he saw the look of admiration in Ron's eyes. He knew that look. Ron was not focusing on his homework. He was focusing on Hermione.

"I'll be right back," said Ron as he ran out of the room. "I wrote a letter to mum the other day and I just remembered I didn't send it." It was just Vince and Hermione. "You know he digs you," said Vince after a few minutes, still focusing on his plans. Hermione looked up from her book. "What?" she asked. "I said-" He was cut off. "I know what you said. What makes you say that?" Vince looked up from his work, snickering. "I've seen the way he looks at you. Especially when you help him with homework. He's smitten." Hermione blushed. "He's just grateful for the help." Vince rolled his eyes. "Whatever. All I'm saying is as a guy, I can see the signals of affection. I know because I was the same way with Luna." Hermione paused for a moment, as if collecting her thoughts. "Would he like it if I tried that?" she asked, pointing at the rolled joint in his hand. "Personally, I don't think he would think any different of you if you did. It's not like you'd become a pothead." Hermione looked curious. "Why do you say that?" she asked. "Because you're smart. You've got a good head on your shoulders, Hermione," he answered. "Thank you, Vince," she said, smiling.

Ron came back into the room about ten minutes later, slightly out of breath. He was followed by Harry who was holding up a piece of paper. "Check this out," he said, handing the paper to Hermione. The paper said the first Hogsmeade trip was on Sunday, October fifth. The day after their first game. It also said that there was going to be a new business in Hogsmeade: a movie theater. Vince seriously perked up at this news. He grabbed the paper and read it. It said that this theater would feature both Muggle and wizard films. "It will be open by the time we have the first trip up there," said Harry.

"Awesome! There's a bunch of movies I'm looking forward to," said Vince. "One of my favorite directors has a film coming out. Kevin Smith's 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno.'" There was a look of confusion exchanged through the others. "Oh my god, you've never seen 'Clerks,' 'Mallrats,' 'Dogma?'" They shook their heads. Ron broke the awkward silence. "Personally, I'm looking forward to the adaptation of 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune.'" It was Vince's turn to stare blankly. "I have no idea what you just said." Harry and Hermione were just as clueless. "It's a fairy tale, how can you not have heard of it?" Ron asked, exasperatedly. "Harry and I were raised by Muggles. We had different stories." Vince nodded. "We also have different stories in America."

Vince looked at the joint he was holding in his right hand. "This is almost out," he said, holding it out for someone. "Anyone want the last hit?" Ron made to grab it, but someone piped up. "I'll give it a try." Everyone in the room turned to the source of the voice: Hermione. "Are you sure?" asked Harry. Hermione considered this for a moment before responding. "Yes, I do," she said, firmly. Vince looked at the others and shrugged. He passed the remainder of the joint to Hermione, who took it looking rather curiously at it. "Like this?" she asked holding it to her mouth and inhaling. "Try not to drool so much on the end," said Vince.

She inhaled and held the smoke in her lungs. She held it in for about twenty seconds before coughing it out. Vince and Ron glanced at each other excitedly. When Hermione had finished coughing she was looking at the others. Apparently, something was supposed to happen, but she didn't feel any different. "Well?" asked Ron. "Well what?" replied Hermione. "Don't you feel anything?" asked Harry. Hermione shrugged. "No I don't." Ron looked a little bummed. "You don't feel anything at all?" Hermione shook her head. "I don't feel absolutely- WOAH." Everyone's eyebrows rose. "Hermione, you just made a very uncharacteristic noise," said Harry.

She took another puff, as it was still lit. She held the smoke and exhaled it again. "Wow," she said, a little breathlessly. "How have I never tried this before?" she asked, wobbling slightly. Harry took the initiative and made to take the joint away from her, but she moved her arm away from him. "Just one more puff," she said, quickly. Vince leaned over to Ron. "Good thing she doesn't have an addictive personality." Ron stifled a laugh. Harry grabbed it and flicked it out of the window. Hermione looked slightly crestfallen. "Do you have any more?" she asked Vince. "No, I don't," he responded. "I have to get in touch with Amber." Hermione wasn't paying attention. She was preoccupied with looking at her hands. "My hands are HUGE!" she exclaimed. "Hello hands."

"How are the plans coming?" asked Harry, ignoring Hermione. "Awesome. I think this will be a pretty good plan," Vince answered. "My word, is it hot in here. Did the temperature jump up twenty degrees?" asked Hermione, fanning herself. "Anyway," continued Vince. "We should be a pretty solid team, if I say so myself." They looked over at Hermione, who had taken off her shirt. She was in a lacey white bra and she was beginning to undo her jeans. "Part of me wants to see how far this goes. The other part wants to stop her," said Ron, trying not to giggle. Harry flashed him a look. "Listen to the 'stop her' part," he said. Ron moved Hermione's hands away from her pants and looked back at Vince. "Does this happen to everyone their first time?" he asked. Vince shrugged. "Some people are more susceptible to it. Plus this is really good shit. Amber's got excellent connections." Harry shook his head, hand over his mouth. "I'm just glad her homework is done." Hermione then passed out, mumbling something about "damn kittens."

"Come on," said Ron. "Let's get her downstairs." His watch read 11:30. "We can't get her into her room," said Harry. "The staircase won't let us." Ron grabbed an extra blanket from his trunk. "We'll prop her in a chair with this blanket and let her sleep it off." Together, the three of them led Hermione downstairs. She giggled occasionally, but remained silent for the most part. When they got down to the Common Room the few people awake stared. "What happened to her?" asked Lavender Brown. Think fast. "She fell asleep studying with me," answered Vince as he set her down in a chair with the blanket. "I think she fried her brain." Hermione shot up and blurted, "Pineapples!" She fell back asleep. Lavender raised an eyebrow. "Well good night!" said Vince. He ran upstairs, followed closely by Ron and Harry, leaving Lavender thoroughly confused.

Vincent woke up the next morning, feeling psyched about practice later that day. He started to get dressed when he remembered what happened last night. He ran downstairs as soon as he was finished getting dressed and was relieved to see that Hermione was still asleep in the comfy chair. He walked over to her and tapped her on the forehead. She snorted loudly and blinked her eyes blearily. "What happened last night?" she asked, her voice groggy. "You got really stoned last night and passed out in our room. The three of us helped bring you downstairs and let you sleep it off." Hermione rubbed her eyes and tried to open them fully. "I was really silly last night, wasn't I?" she asked. "I seem to recall focusing much attention on my hands." Vince nodded. "Don't let it get you down, though," he assured her. "That was some potent stuff. Some people handle their first time better than others. The first time I ever smoked, I carried out a lengthy conversation with my little sister's ballet slipper."

Hermione laughed and Vince felt better making her smile. "Do you think I should stop?" she asked him after a few moments. "I think you should do what you think is best. If you want to stop, go ahead. If you want to regulate how much you do next time, go ahead. It's nobody's decision but yours." She smiled. "Thanks Chris. You're so comforting to talk to." Harry and Ron came downstairs and walked over to Hermione. "Hello hands," said Ron with a slight smile breaking on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes and got up off the chair. Still wiping her eyes, Hermione stood up and wobbled slightly. "I still feel the effects of it," she said as she yawned. "Yeah, it'll do that," replied Vince. Harry tapped Vince on the shoulder. "Come on," he said. "We'd better eat before practice at eleven." Vince nodded and followed out of the portrait hole. Ron stayed behind for a moment.

"I still can't believe you actually did it," he said to Hermione. She blushed slightly. "I thought you would like it if I did it. I didn't want you to think I was a big know-it-all goody two-shoes." Ron chuckled. "How did it feel?" he asked. Hermione sighed as she stretched. "It was wonderful. I've never felt like that before. I don't want to become addicted to it, but I don't think I want to stop altogether either. I still want my education to come first." Ron smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He gave her a hug and climbed out of the portrait hole to join the rest of the team for breakfast, eagerly anticipating Quodpot practice.


	11. Practice and a Reprimand

Foreign Exchange

Chapter 11

I own none of this

Once breakfast had finished, Harry and Ron led Vince down to the practice field. In the distance, Vince saw the Quidditch pitch and relished being able to play in it in a few weeks. They arrived at the locker room and got dressed for practice. Goggles and protective gloves were a must. Once they put on their robes and pads and various accoutrements, they met the rest of the team in the central meeting room. Vince took his place at the chalkboard and grabbed a piece of chalk.

"Okay team," he started. "Welcome to your first practice. Quodpot is a lot simpler than Quidditch. There aren't several different positions in this sport. You all are passing the quod to your other teammates while avoiding being intercepted by the opposing side. As I have said before, the object is to get the quod into a cauldron filled with a solution that prevents the quod from exploding. After each quod is brought in, you have five minutes to sink it into your team's cauldron. If you fail to do so, the ball explodes. If you are in possession of the exploding ball, you will be eliminated. The eliminated players will have to sit out the rest of the game. Now, like in Quidditch, there are people who are front and center when the quod is released. On our team, those five people are Katie, Alicia, Angelina, Ginny, and myself. We are the offensive team. The defensive team tries to prevent the other team from passing the ball to their teammates. Once the ball is intercepted, you pass it back to the offensive members and hover around, keeping an eye on the ball. These people are George, Fred, Cormac, Harry, and Ron. The final position is Goalie which is essentially Keeper. Obviously, they attempt to prevent the ball from scoring in the cauldron and getting a point for the opposing team. Our Goalie is Demelza. I should warn you, Demelza. Even the goalie is capable of elimination if it explodes in your hands." She gulped.

Vince took a drink from his water bottle before continuing. "The game has four fifteen minute periods. After the first and third periods, there is a five minute rest. After the second period, there is a twenty minute halftime. It gives us time to plan for the next half, and it gives the crowd a chance to talk about the game and stretch their legs. In professional Quodpot games, there is an entertainment act during the halftime that while it keeps the interests of the crowd, is never actually as entertaining as the actual game itself. Halftime also gives people the opportunity to spend their hard earned money on ridiculously overpriced food and drinks. I mean, five dollars for a fuckin' Dixie cup of beer?"

Vince downed the water bottle before continuing. "There are penalties similar to those in Quidditch. Essentially, if it's an illegal move in Quidditch, it's an illegal move in Quodpot. Does anyone have any questions?" A few people raised their hand. "Does the explosion hurt?" asked Demelza. "No," answered Vince. "The ball pretty much explodes in a puff of smoke, slightly blackening your appearance. It's not painful at all." Ron asked the next question. "Has this game ever had a debilitating scandal associated with it?" Vince nodded. "In 1985, French Quodpot player Jean-Paul Kadoura accidentally bewitched a quod to become combustible. Upon explosion, it resulted in the death of the German team's goalie, Kristin Vanness. Jean-Paul was banned from the sport and there was no international tournament that year. Since then, the quods have been kept under lock and key to prevent people from messing with them."

He looked around the room. Nobody else had any questions. "Alright, let's get out there and practice." There was much applause from the team. They were all chattering excitedly and Vince overheard Cormac bragging about how much of an ace flier he was. Vince rolled his eyes. If that's the case, how come you've never been on the team, he thought. As they walked down to the field, they saw Luna and Hermione sitting with a picnic brunch. Luna and Vince waved at each other. Hermione was reading a book Vince had lent her, The Beekeeper's Apprentice. They arrived on the practice field and split into their groups and Demelza flew up to a cauldron suspended in mid air and hovered in front of it. "We'll split in two and pretend that two teams are playing," said Vince. The offensive went one way, the defensive team, in the other direction. Vince pulled a whistle out of his pocket, took a deep breath, and blew out. The rest of the team flew up and waited for Vince. He took a quod out of a box that provided for him. He threw the ball up as high as he could and stood below watching his fledgling team. The first person to grab the ball was Ron. He flew toward the goal and weaved out of the way of Angelina and Ginny, who were descending on him fairly rapidly. He saw Katie approaching out of the corner of his eye and threw the ball to Harry. Harry didn't catch it because the ball was intercepted by Cormac. "Harry's on your side!" Vince called.

Cormac flew the ball over to the goal and threw it. Demelza blocked it with her elbow and it flew back into play. Vince watched as the ball was being passed between the players, ensuring each person had an opportunity to handle the ball. He looked at his stopwatch and saw that the ball was going to explode in less than thirty seconds. He grabbed another one out of the box and waited for the imminent explosion. Alicia had the ball and was flying at full speed towards Demelza. Ten seconds. Alicia dipped into a dive and flew up as fast as she could when she reached the goalpost. Five seconds. She passed Demelza just in time and sank the ball into the cauldron. Demelza was a little out of breath due to the excitement that just happened right in front of her. Everyone cheered and Vince put the ball back in the box. He flew up to the cauldron and grabbed the ball from inside. "Good job you guys. Alicia, you pulled off that move perfectly. I'm really quite impressed." She smiled and said, "Thank you, Vince." He turned to the rest of the team. "You guys did really well for your first practice. We've still got the field for another forty-five minutes, so let's keep going." The team made to go their separate ways. "Could I see you for a second, Cormac?" Vince asked. Ron and Harry gave each other looks that said, "He's gonna get it." Cormac turned to talk to his captain. "What's up Vince? Did you see what I did up there?" he asked, happily. "Yeah, I did," answered Vince, with no tone of approval in his voice. "If someone is passing the ball to someone on your own team don't block the pass. That doesn't make anyone proud of you. That makes people think you're a douche." Cormac looked affronted. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?" he asked. Vince shook his head. "No, I think it's a little honest. So from now on, keep the showboating to a minimum, okay?" he said. Cormac huffed and flew back to his half of the team. He muttered something that Vince believed to be a swear. He took a deep breath and regained control of his practice session.

_"_Can you believe that Cormac?" asked Vince to the others as they walked back up to the castle. Vince had his arm around Luna as she rested her head on his shoulders. Hermione was engrossed by her new book. "Thank the gods you were there to make me smile," he said as he kissed Luna's forehead. She blushed as Harry, Ron, and Hermione smiled at them. They walked up to the castle to have lunch. As they arrived in the Great Hall, Vince saw Cormac talking to Templeton. He didn't think anything of it. They sat down and Vince sighed. "We're going to need to do some serious for the first game in two weeks." He started grabbing ham sandwiches for himself and Luna.

"I think you're going to do just fine," said Luna, taking a bite. Vince felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Professor Snape. "Report to the Headmaster's office in thirty minutes." Vince looked scared. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked. Snape only responded with a sly grin. "Wouldn't you like to know." He walked back to the staff table. Vince sat there looking at his food as he was being patted with the others. "I'm sure it's nothing bad," said Harry.

A half hour later, Vince made his way to Dumbledore's office. He felt like he was being led to the gallows. He finally arrived at the office which was guarded by a giant gargoyle. As he approached it, the gargoyle moved out of the way, revealing a staircase behind it. Dumbledore must know I'm coming. He walked up the staircase and nervously knocked on the door. "Come in," said a kindly old voice. Vince opened the door and was greeted with a plethora of unusual objects. Things were whirring in glass cases, portraits of old headmasters were looking around and muttering to each other. He also saw the Sorting Hat, a ruby encrusted sword, and a beautiful phoenix.

He sat down in the chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. For a few moments, all they did was look at each other. Dumbledore broke the silence. "Why have you brought drugs into my school?" He didn't look angry. He looked disappointed, which was infinitely worse. Vince looked down at the ground as he said, "I'm sorry. It was an accident. A friend of mine back in America sent me some and I have already told her not to do it again." Dumbledore nodded. "Thank you," he said simply. Vince waited for the axe to fall. "When should I have my things packed?" he asked. "I don't understand," said the headmaster, confused. "I brought illegal substances into your school. Doesn't that automatically entail getting booted out of your school?" Dumbledore smiled, much to Vince's amazement. "If I kicked out every student who had a youthful indiscretion, my school would be pretty barren. I don't believe in severe punishment for something the majority of the population does. I myself had unconventional teenage years, as well. I won't go into further detail. I just have one question. Do you plan on procuring anymore marijuana?" Vince shook his head, vigorously. "Then we have nothing more to say this evening. We shall part ways tonight. But know that if I hear you have brought this into my school again, I will have no choice but to expel you. Have I made myself clear?" Vince nodded. "Crystal."

Dumbledore responded by smiling. Vince turned to leave the room before a thought occurred to him. "Professor, who told you about this?" Dumbledore smiled gravely. "You know I can't tell you who confided in me." Vince shrugged. "Yeah, I didn't think you would." He left the office and shut the door behind him. He walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room and got his Charms homework out. As he was unpacking his things, he saw Templeton high-fiving Cormac. It was them. Templeton must have told Cormac about the drugs, and Cormac told the teachers because I got pissed off at him at practice earlier today. But their connection was still a mystery to him. He decided to let it go. He didn't get in trouble. Plus he didn't have any proof. As he sat with his homework, he let today's events depart his thoughts, and focused solely on his work.


End file.
